2006 Ford Escape Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Escape years
- Far fewer complaints than other years 19th of 27 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 3 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 464 complaints with NHTSA about the 2006 Ford Escape. That ranks 19th out of 27 Escape model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is vehicle speed control (99 complaints, 21%), typically at around 70,000 miles. Complaints mention 16 crashes, 9 fires, 26 injuries. There are 3 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 464owner complaints
- 3safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 16complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2006 Ford Escape problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle Speed Control problems | 99 | 21% | 70,000 | “throttle body” (19%) | — |
| Power Train problems | 80 | 17% | 80,000 | “torque converter” (11%) | $3,100 |
| Suspension problems | 65 | 14% | 111,000 | “wheel well” (40%) | — |
| Structure problems | 63 | 14% | 128,400 | “wheel well” (48%) | — |
| Engine | 47 | 10% | 93,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 41 | 9% | 101,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 34 | 7% | 93,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 21 | 5% | 45,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 20 | 4% | 45,600 | — | — |
| Steering | 20 | 4% | 78,816 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 18 | 4% | 97,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 18 | 4% | 50,078 | — | — |
| Visibility | 18 | 4% | 78,785 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 17 | 4% | 62,816 | — | — |
| Wheels | 15 | 3% | 103,500 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 12 | 3% | 127,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Electric | 6 | 1% | 47,354 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 4 | 1% | 58,908 | — | — |
| Seats | 4 | 1% | 5,505 | — | — |
| Tires | 4 | 1% | 22,000 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 3 | 1% | 50,000 | — | — |
| Parking Brake | 3 | 1% | 29,183 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 3 | 1% | 106,753 | — | — |
| Equipment | 2 | 0% | 51,025 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 2 | 0% | 82,000 | — | — |
| Hybrid Propulsion System | 2 | 0% | 148,500 | — | — |
| Interior Lighting | 1 | 0% | 35,860 | — | — |
| Traction Control System | 1 | 0% | 134,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2006 Ford Escape recalls (3)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Power train:automatic transmission:lever and linkage:floor shift; power train:automatic transmission:gear position indication (prndl)
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2001-2008 Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner vehicles manufactured March 31, 2001, to September 1, 2009. The affected vehicles are equipped with either a 2.3L or 3.0L engine and have had their CD4E transmission replaced with remanufactured one that was rebuilt between June 11, 2015 through July 15, 2015. These service repair part transmissions have a shift lever bolt that may not be properly tightened. As a result, the shift control lever could disengage from the transmission without warning.
Risk: If the shift lever disengages from the transmission, a driver may be unable to shift gear positions and the indicated shift position may not represent the gear position the vehicle is in. Should a disengagement occur while the vehicle is being driven, when the driver goes to stop and park the vehicle, the gear selection indicator may show that the transmission is in the "PARK" position, but the vehicle transmission may not actually be in the "PARK" gear position. If the vehicle is not in the "PARK" position there is a risk the vehicle will roll away as the driver and other occupants exit the vehicle or anytime thereafter. A vehicle rollaway increases the risk of injury to exiting occupants and bystanders.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the transmissions and either tighten the manual shift lever bolt or replace the manual shift lever assembly. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on October 23, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15S28.
Hybrid propulsion system
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2005-2008 Ford Escape hybrid electric vehicles manufactured October 13, 2003, to June 20, 2008, and 2006-2008 Mercury Mariner hybrid electric vehicles manufactured June 10, 2005, to June 20, 2008. The coolant pump for the hybrid system may fail resulting in the hybrid electronics overheating.
Risk: If the hybrid electronics system overheats, it may shut down the powertrain, resulting in a stall-like condition, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the original Motor Electronics Coolant (MEC) Pump with an improved brushless pump, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin on October 27, 2014. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 14S19.
Visibility:windshield wiper/washer:motor
Problem: On certain trucks, passenger cars and sport utility vehicles, the windshield wiper motor may have been produced without grease being applied to the output shaft gear.
Risk: After a period of continuous use on the high speed setting, lack of grease on the output shaft gear may cause the gear to distort or fracture during operation resulting in a loss of wiper function. Inoperative wipers under inclement weather conditions could cause a crash due to impaired visibility.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the wiper motor for the presence of grease and grease the wiper motor gears if necessary. The recall began on november 22, 2005. Owners may contact ford at 1-800-392-3673 or lincoln/mercury at 1-800-521-4140.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Electronic Throttle Body Malfunction (DP12006) — opened Oct 2, 2012, closed Feb 21, 2013.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
I was in a major high speed frontal crash on April 4th. I hydroplaned on 204 and I almost died and none of my airbags deployed. I have several videos from the tow yard showing that they were still intact and didn't deploy, but this firm won'tlet me upload them. This car has never been in a wreck…
Sunroof on the vehicle just shattered. No impact related cause. Maybe heat.
I was driving on the highway, when the car steering started to pull to the left, and an alarm chime was heard from the dash, and a wrench light on the dash came on, as well as a service steering system soon message appeared on the message display. This happened multiple times. I contacted the local…
The idler pulley on the subject vehicle has failed numerous times, with the mounting bolt shearing at the connection to the timing cover. Upon failure of the pulley the serpentine belt will either fail or become dislodged; when this occurs the steering, alternator, and water pump all stop…
Like so many others, I was making a sharp right turn when the vehicle stopped without warning causing cars behind me to slam on their brakes to avoid a chain rear end collision event on a busy intersection. Another driver offered help and got it restarted but the power steering stopped functioning…
Other Ford Escape years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Escape | 3 | 2 |
| 2025 Escape | 26 | 9 |
| 2024 Escape | 76 | 8 |
| 2023 Escape | 100 | 11 |
| 2022 Escape | 235 | 19 |
| 2021 Escape | 349 | 19 |
| 2020 Escape | 1,610 | 23 |
| 2019 Escape | 596 | 3 |
| 2018 Escape | 1,817 | 4 |
| 2017 Escape | 2,698 | 4 |
| 2016 Escape | 1,158 | 4 |
| 2015 Escape | 1,116 | 9 |
| 2014 Escape | 2,089 | 16 |
| 2013 Escape | 2,750 | 18 |
| 2012 Escape | 603 | 1 |
| 2011 Escape | 1,318 | 2 |
| 2010 Escape | 2,070 | 3 |
| 2009 Escape | 1,693 | 1 |
| 2008 Escape | 1,974 | 3 |
| 2007 Escape | 254 | 2 |
| 2006 | 464 | 3 |
| 2005 Escape | 1,394 | 4 |
| 2004 Escape | 499 | 6 |
| 2003 Escape | 558 | 7 |
| 2002 Escape | 1,027 | 8 |
| 2001 Escape | 996 | 13 |
| 2000 Escape | 5 | 0 |
See all Ford Escape problems by year, every Ford model, or the Ford VIN decoder.
Similar Ford models
Embed this 2006 Ford Escape badge on your site
Copy this code into your blog or forum post. It shows live complaint and recall counts and links back here.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2006 Ford Escape?
Owners most often report vehicle speed control, power train, suspension problems. The top one, vehicle speed control, accounts for 99 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2006 Ford Escape?
Yes, 3 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2006 Ford Escape a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Escape model years, the 2006 has far fewer complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.